IIM Bangalore leads India in QS Global MBA Rankings 2026; three IIMs in top 100

India’s premier management institutes have once again demonstrated their global standing in the recently released QS Global MBA Rankings 2026 (published September 17-18, 2025)..

India has made real progress in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2026, with IIM Bangalore emerging as the highest-ranked Indian business school at 52nd globally and 8th in Asia. Alongside, IIM Ahmedabad (58th) and IIM Calcutta (64th) also featured within the global top 100.

The QS Global MBA Rankings 2026 evaluated more than 390 B-schools in the world offering full-time MBA programs from over 80 countries, using a detailed set of performance indicators. Out of these 390, 14 MBA Colleges in India made it to the list this year, reflecting the country’s expanding footprint in international business education.

QS Ranking 2026 for MBA Colleges in India

Among the noteworthy performers, IIM Indore achieved its best-ever ranking, breaking into the 151–200 bracket since first appearing in 2022.

Several other business schools also continued to strengthen India’s position. Institutes such as IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Udaipur, XLRI, IIFT Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, MDI Gurgaon, Woxsen School of Business, and Somaiya Vidyavihar featured across various ranking bands.

The entry of newer players like Woxsen School of Business now ranked 30th in Asia and earned international recognition for diversity, reflects the growing competitiveness within India itself.

For IIM Bangalore, which emerged as the top Indian school, the performance was particularly notable in the Employability category, where it secured its best-ever global rank of 29th. Strong scores in Return on Investment and Thought Leadership further pushed the institute to the 52nd position overall.

The methodology placed strong emphasis on employability, return on investment, thought leadership, alumni outcomes, and diversity, factors that reflect both academic quality and market relevance.

For Indian management institutions, this year’s results highlight both progress and challenges. The consistent presence of IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Calcutta in the global top 100 underscores the rising international appeal of India’s flagship MBA programs.

Strong showings in areas such as employability and ROI indicate that these schools are steadily building recognition among recruiters and global employers. However, the rankings also point to gaps that still need to be addressed.

Indian schools continue to lag behind global counterparts in areas such as student diversity and international exposure, suggesting scope for improvement in attracting overseas candidates and fostering global learning environments.

Experts believe that more Indian B-schools may break into higher global tiers if they expand international collaborations, focus on research impact, and strengthen alumni networks.

On the global stage, business schools from the United States and Europe continued to dominate the top positions.

Wharton School (UPenn), Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Stanford Graduate School of Business, HEC Paris, and London Business School all maintained their reputation as some of the world’s most competitive programs.

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